Boiler making a 'churning' noise when firing

toccmatt

Hi everyone-

Newbie to the forum.

I have a GSA 125 steam boiler with single pipe radiators and have owned my house for ~13 years. The system is heating appropriately, but is making a churning noise at the boiler when firing. I'm not sure if this is a new issue or a newly noticed issue.

Any ideas?

patrykrebisz

on oil burner, it stops soon after, right?

if so, it s the igniter sending high current to start the flame. after a short moment it stops because ignited fuel starts more combistion of the incoming oil.

toccmatt

It’s a natural gas boiler. Doesn’t start right away after it ignites and sounds like it’s coming from the pipes above the boiler itself.

mattmia2

What does the level in the sight glass look like, does it bounce around or drop significantly?

Waher

Is the sight glass surging? The water may have oil in it or have gotten dirty enough with rust over time that the boiling action is puking water into the main.

toccmatt

Yes, sight glass is bouncing around a bit. It was overfilled as well. I drained some water out so the water line was at a normal level but the sight glass is still bouncing around.

neilc

show the boiler, from a couple angles, floor to ceiling, and we'll tell you how to clean it

mattmia2

Might need to skim it, flooding it might have released some oils that normally didn't get water or steam contact

toccmatt

Here’s the full look at the boiler

mattmia2

Is there even a skim port installed on the boiler?

ethicalpaul

It goes here I think:

It's surging/carrying over is my guess. You can really hear it on those copper headers. You can try draining out that nasty green boiler treatment (there are a couple that are that color and I don't like them) and refilling with fresh water (not something you want to make a habit of due to increased corrosion from the fresh water).

pecmsg

https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1875763#Comment_1875763

I’m betting…………NO

neilc

anyone notice the gage at 25 psi?

has the pigtail been serviced? it needs to be free breathing back into the boiler so that the Ptrol sees what the boiler is doing,

Dial (gently, stop as the indicator hits the bottom of the scale, and you realize some slight resistance, ) the Ptrol down as low as it will go without not refiring, if it won't light up again then add a turn back in, inside there's a wheel, it should be set to 1,

yeah, spill the chem water and go with fresh clear water,

you need a skim nipple where that insulation is showing on the jacket,

pecmsg

that control looks fine. Could be a bad gauge

neilc

https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1875774#Comment_1875774

that cut in is showing above 2, that's fine?

dial it down,

toccmatt

The pigtail was serviced about a year ago, but guessing whatever happened to get this thing overfilled probably clogged it back up.

Here's what I'm gathering I should do from this thread, let me know if I'm missing something:

1. Adjust the pressuretrol way down.
2. Drain boiler. Fwiw, the water is more brown than green, I don't think there has been any boiler cleaner added to it, that I know of.
3. Remove pigtail/pressuretrol, clean pigtail.
4. Refill
5. Install a skim port

Does that make sense? Anything I'm missing?

mattmia2

i'd put a low pressure gauge on the pigtail with the pressuretrol, that gauge likely got tweaked and is wildly inaccurate. does it go to 0 when the boiler is off?

might as well skim it before you flush the boiler.

clammy

Look like a genus installed ,piped wrong and god forbid you have to remove any burners .Who installed the boiler w the front facing a wall ? It looks as though the hartford loop is remotely installed instead of off the equalizer drop again a public school grad not reading instructions but the copper pipe gives it right away . Typical a good install in reality you need some one to re install that boiler correctly the performance and your fuel consumptions will tell the tale . Most likely its has a good deal of mud and rust in the boiler hence the churning noise but some will stay unnecessary but usually a good wanding and flushing of the bottom of the boiler and flushing of the return piping will help . Your performance will only as good as the near boiler piping but as most know steam is quite forgiving and will usually work even if installed improperly unless by some one who has a clue then there issues but when a hack installs it works perfect 'one of god miracles for sure and in complete opposite of murphy's law .

peace and good luck clammy

gfrbrookline

what @clammy said. No copper pipes on steam heating systems.